Whip-actuating device.



No. 806,290. PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905. w. L. RAWLS. I I WHIP AGTUATING' DEVICE.

AP-RLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1905.

Attorneys UNITED STATES i PATENT onmon.

WILLIAM L. RAWLS, or BELLQQI WHlP-ACTUATING c No. 806,290..

Specificationpf Letters Patent. :f

Application filed March 23,1905. Serial no. 251,695.

, To all whom z't-may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. RAW'LS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bells, in the county of Crockett and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful VVhip-Actuating Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to whip-actuating devices, and has for its object to improve the construction and arrangement of such devices so as to facilitate the handling thereof and to enable the mounting of the device upon any suitable portion of the vehicle or upon the harness without requiring any alteration in the device to adapt the same for either of the two difl erent mountings thereof.

A further object of the invention is to have the whip spring-actuated in its striking movement and to facilitate the drawing back of the whip against the tension of the actuatingspring and also to insure a quick and positive tripping of the whip to bring the spring into action.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood 3 that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the" advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. Fig.2 is anenlarged horizontal sectional View taken through the pivotal support of the whip-socket. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the devicearranged for mounting upon the harness. Fig. 4 is adetail cross-sectional view taken through the'guide member of the form shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view, parts being in sec-' tion, of the means for tripping the whipsocket employed in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the trip for, releasing the whip-socket.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

In each embodiment of the present invention there is an attaching-bracket 1, shown in the accompanying drawings as a flat plate having a pair or more of perforations 2, with one end of the plate turned up to form a post or upright 3. This post is pierced by a sub- Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

stantially horizontal rotatable shaft or bar 4,

one end portion of which is encircled by a helical spring 6, the inner end of which is connected to the post 3, as indicated at 7, while its other end is connected to the shaft 4, as at 8, there being a suitable nut 9 fitted upon the adjacent end of the shaft to prevent the spring from creeping outwardly upon the shaft. a substantially radial arm 10, provided at its outer free end with a suitable whip-socket 11 and its inner end having an eye 12, receiving the shaft 4 and to which it is connected for movement therewith. The extremity of the shaft adjacent the arm has a right-hand thread 13, and there is a treadle 14, having a threaded eye fitted to the threaded portion 13 of the shaft, whereby depression of At the other side of the post there is the treadle tends to secure the latter more tightly upon the shaft rather than to loosen ed upon the footboard or other suitable portion of a vehicle-body with the socket-carrying arm 10 projecting forwardly and having the butt-end 19 of a whip fitted in the socket 11. By placing the foot upon the treadle 14 and pressing downwardly thereon the arm 10 will be swung upwardly against the tension of the spring 6, thereby storing up energy in the latter. Upon removing the foot from the treadle the spring 6will tend to swing the arm 10 forwardly and downwardly, so as to strike the whip against the animal.

It is also proposed to mount the device upon some'portion of the'harness, such as the backstrap. In carrying outthis feature the guard 17 is removed, and an upright or standard 20 is secured to the top of the post by'means of the fastenings 18. The treadle 14 is also removed, and a spacing-sleeve 21 is substituted in lieu thereof, so as to hold the arm 10 in its proper position upon the shaft 4. From the top of the standard 20 and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom is an arcuate guide or guard arm 22, against which the arm works. Upon the guide or guard member 22 there is a slide 23, which is of substantially U shape, so as to embrace the part 22, and has its opposite sides 24 projected a suitable distance laterally from the member 22, so as to lie beneath and engage the arm 10. A helical spring 25 has its lower end secured to the lower end portion of the part 22, as indicated at 26, and the upper end of the spring is connected to the slide, as at 27, so as. to yieldably maintain the slide at its lowermost limit with the arm 10 resting thereon. An actuating cord or member 28 is connected to the top of the slide, from which it extends upwardly and rearwardly through a suitable guide 29 at the top of the standard 20 and extended into position for actuation by the driverof the vehicle. Adjacent the upper end portion of the guide or guard member 22 there is an adjustable bracket 30 in the nature of a collar slidably embracing the part 22 and adjustably held thereon by means of a set-screw 31. Opposite the set-screw the bracket is provided with a rib 32, having the forward portion of its outer edge inclined or beveled, as at 33, to formatrip. In this last form of the device the cord or rope is pulled rearwardly. The slide 23 moves upwardly and rearwardly upon the part 22 and carries the arm 10 therewith against the tension of the spring 6 until the arm 10 wipes past the inclined edge 33 of the trip 30, whereby the arm will be displaced laterally from the slide 23 and then automatically swung downwardly and forwardly by the spring 6, so as to strike the whip against the animal. The downward movement of the arm is limited by means of a stop-pin 34, adjustable into any one of the series of perforations or sockets 35 of the part 22. It will now be understood that the arm 10 is drawn rearwardly against the tension of the spring 6 until it is tripped from the slide 23 by the member 32, whereupon the arm is spring-actuated to produce the whipping operation. When the cord or rope 28 is released, the slide 23 is automatically run down to its lowermost limit by the spring 25, the outer edges of the slide being beveled, as at 36, to wipe past the arm 10 without displacing the latter from the stop projection 34.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that while the two embodiments of the invention differ, in that one is arranged for foot control and the other for control by hand, the general principle is the same so far as the mounting and spring-actuating of the whipsocket is concerned. In other words, the

, embodiment shown in Fig. l is designed to have its whip-arm 1O swung upwardly and rearwardly by foot-pressure of the operator, While in Fig. 3 the device is arranged for shaft at one side of the standard with one end connected to the latter and the other end connected to the shaft, a radial arm carried by the other end portion of the shaft and working over the guide-arm, a whip-socket carried by the outer end of the radial arm, and con trolling means for rotating the shaft against the tension of the spring.

2. In a whip-actuating device, the combination with a support having a guide-arm, of a swinging spring-pressed whip-socket traveling over the guide-arm, and a controlling device having a member slidable upon the arm and in cooperative relation with the whipsocket to swing the latter against the pressure of the spring.

3. In a whip-actuating device, the combination with a support having a guide-arm, of a swinging spring-pressed whip-socket traveling over the guide-arm, and controlling means including a slide working upon the arm in cooperative relation with the whip-socket and a trip carried by the arm for disengaging the slidable member and the whip-socket.

4:. In a Whip-actuating device, the combination with a support having a guide-arm, of a swinging spring-pressed whi p-socket traveling over the arm, and controlling means including a slide mounted upon the arm in cooperative relation with the whip-socket, and a trip carried by the arm and located in the path of the whip-socket to force the latter out of engagement with the slide.

5. In a whip-actuating device, the combination with a support having a guide-arm, of a spring-pressed whipsocket pivotally mounted upon the support and traveling over the arm, a slide working upon the arm in cooperative relation with the socket, a spring to yieldably maintain the slide at one limit of its movement, a guide upon the standard, an operating-cord connected to the slide and working through the guide, and a trip carried by the guide-arm to disengage the whip-socket and the slide.

6. In a whip-actuating device, the combination with a support having a guide-arm, of a swinging spring-pressed whip-socket mounted upon the standard and working over the guide-arm, a slide working upon the arm in engagement with the under side of the whipsocket, a spring connected to the slide and the lower portion of the guide-arm, a guide upon the up oer end of the standard, an operatingmy own I have hereto afiixed my signature in cord connected to the slide and working the presence of two witnesses.

through the guide, and a trip carried by the arm, and located in the rearward path of the RAWLS' 5 whip-socket to force the latter out of engage- Witnesses:

ment with the slide. S. J. HOPKINS,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as W. B. HOPKINS. 

